An energy dissipation tribometer to evaluate friction in boundary lubrication regime

A "parallel pendulum tribometer " is designed and developed to conduct experiments at lower sliding speeds (boundary lubrication regime). At such low speeds, the stiffness of the actuators and load cells in tribometers influence the contact stiffness. As a result, the experimental conditions at the contact get altered. The present tribometer overcomes these stiffness related issues. The tribometer is a highly underdamped system which results in a high resolution in the boundary lubrication regime. The energy dissipated at the contact is used to determine the frictional force. Experiments were conducted using two model lubricants, Hexadecane (HD) and Hexadecane+1%Stearic Acid (HDSA). HDSA was found to be more effective in reducing friction at lower sliding velocities when compared to HD.